Praise for scheme which has seen dramatic drop in rural crime

North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force initially targeted repeat victims in rural crime hotspot locations, offering each farm up to five kits and warning signs to mark high-risk agricultural vehicles and equipment such as trailers, quad bikes and tractor GPS devices.

Each farm was offered up to five kits and signs to mark high risk agricultural vehicles and equipment specifically quad bikes, ATV, trailers and tractor GPS devices.

The Rural Task Force identified repeat victims and hotspot locations, and these were visited first then a wider spread of farms visited.

The Combined Authority has provided 8,000 DNA kits to more than 1,500 farms, representing the largest roll-out of its kind in the UK. Since the start of the scheme in 2024 through to April, only three farms using the kits had been targeted, with a 30 per cent reduction in quad bike theft also being noted.

The DNA marking scheme allows people to invisibly mark their property and aiding in its retrieval in the case of theft while deterring criminals from targeting properties taking part in the scheme.

The marking solution provided in the kits will last for at least five years outdoors and will reveal a unique code that links property with its rightful owner if the equipment is investigated.

As part of the campaign funding also enabled the purchase of Ultraviolet torches and microscopes to identify the DNA markings on products. These were issued to across all traffic teams, operational support teams and in all Rural Task Force vehicles. In addition to this, training was given to all staff on the use and identification of the kits.

The findings follow NFU’s most recent rural crime report which found overall crime in North Yorkshire’s countryside had fallen by over 22 per cent compared to last year.

Ms Coles said both she and Mayor David Skaith were determined to do everything they could “to keep everyone in our region safe”.

She said: “Last year, from October to December, there were 900 incidents reported including poaching, wildlife crime, criminal damage, domestic abuse and violence.

"Whether it's the theft of expensive agricultural equipment, fly tipping along our roads and in our woodlands, or the theft of valuable livestock, these all have a big impact on our communities.

“Over the last year I’ve seen the impact the Rural Taskforce is having in North Yorkshire, whether it’s local community WhatsApp groups sharing vital intelligence or the marking of valuable farm equipment, that has had a huge impact too.

“National Rural Crime Action Week is an opportunity to reiterate our commitment to tackling rural crime and of the work taking place alongside North Yorkshire Police to tackle rural crime.”